By Addie Rising, SHARECharlotte.org, a free, easy and local website that makes it easy to learn about and engage with our local nonprofits. #GivingTuesdayCLT runs through Tuesday, Nov. 29. Visit GivingTuesdayCLT.org to learn how you can support 174 local nonprofits.
When my kids get home from school they burst through the door and immediately start raiding the fridge and kitchen cabinets. “I’m SO hungry!” they’ll say. Of course they might need a little something to eat, but they’ve had breakfast at home, lunch (mostly packed, sometimes bought) and at least one snack during the day. And, I know that they will have something for dinner. Despite their complaints, they are not really hungry.
The sad reality for many children right here in Charlotte is they don’t get breakfast at home. They rely on free breakfast and free or reduced lunches at CMS schools. Dinners are often a question mark and the weekends and summer months can be long and uncertain. In Charlotte, 1 in 4 children live in poverty and 33 percent of homes with children in Mecklenburg County are food-insecure, meaning they do not know where their next meal is coming fro.
Together We Feed is one of eleven organizations involved in #GivingTuesdayCLT working hard to end hunger in Charlotte. Together We Feed provides backpacks with food each weekend for students in need. They also work to feed children during the summer months. For #GivingTuesdayCLT their goal is to feed 100 Charlotte students for an entire year! And it’s simple:
– $6.50 feeds a child over the weekend
– $65 feeds a child throughout the summer
– $120 feeds a child for a semester
– $240 feeds a child throughout the school year
– $305 feeds a child throughout the entire year
– $610 feeds two siblings throughout an entire year
As we head into a week filled with family and friends and tables filled with food, it’s a great time to remind our children (and ourselves) to be grateful and to find ways to share with our neighbors. Investing in Charlotte organizations who work to alleviate hunger in our community is a great place to start!
Catch a Checkers Game AND Support #GivingTuesdayCLT
Purchase tickets to the game on Tuesday, Nov. 22 and $5 from every ticket will be donated to #GivingTuesdayCLT! PLUS, it’s the Tuesday before Thanksgiving break and the kids don’t have school the next day! So come on out and see us and bring the whole family. If you cannot make the game on the 22nd, the Checkers are giving back $5 on every ticket purchased THAT WEEK! WOW!
